Everything
by Dragon Fire10
Summary: She was the light to his soul...his purpose. She was his life...his very breath...his everything. And she was meant for another.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing related to Hana Yori Dango

**A/N: **This is already posted up to chapter three on my LJ and already written through chapter 8. For those reading Truly Madly Deeply, if there are any, I might go ahead and post a few chapters later tonight, but it's almost complete on my LJ.

And remember...reviews are like food.

_Prologue_

He would never forget the way she looked that night. She descended the left hand staircase with insurmountable grace and elegance. She took his breath away. Everything around him, the other party goers, the musicians, his parents, everyone, faded from his view, from his consciousness leaving only her.

She took each step down, carefully, eyes cast down as if she did not trust her own footfalls. Each step was as light as air, giving her the appearance of a beautiful princess floating down the stairs. Her long dark hair bounced over her bare shoulder, his breath catching in his throat with the movement.

If only she would look out among the guests gathered and see him. If only those dark warm eyes would look up and find him.

Halfway down the stairs, she slowly began to look up, her eyes landing on her future moving slowly down the opposite staircase. She paused in her step and he could see her chest move with a slow deep breath and her lips, nervously shifted, the corners lifting and her eyes sparkling.

Soujiroh closed his eyes as they met on the platform between the two sets of stairs, the man with her, reaching out his hand to caress her cheek sending many hearts a flutter in the crowd of guests. He opened his eyes again just in time to see the couple descend the larger staircase toward the party.

It was torture, but a torture he seemed destined to participate in day after day. He watched the couple dance, his heart breaking, and the pieces plunging into his stomach when the man wrapped his arms around her. The sound of her giggles when the man twirled her playfully was like icicles plunging into his heart.

He wanted to run away, but he couldn't. This was something he had to subject himself to. He had to become accustomed to the sights and sounds of the couple. He had to harden himself against the pain seeing her with him caused, the suffocating need for air when she wasn't with him, knowing every night she would be the last thing that man would see before falling asleep and the first thing he saw in the morning.

And then she was standing in front of him, her small hand reaching out for his. A strange feeling of crippling pain struck his heart when she took his hand and smiled up at him. He closed his eyes for only a second, accepting his sentence…his punishment for being too late. There was a voice, distant, announcing their dance.

He stood in the middle of the dance floor, looking down at what he could only describe as the light that had led him there, the strength that kept him going…hoping, his purpose…his everything. And yet he stood there with her unable to say those words again.

How could she do that? How could she stand there doing nothing and still take his breath away?

"Soujiroh-kun."

The soft sound of her whispering voice was torturing in its enchanting beauty. He closed his eyes, his heart stilling and his breath stalling in his chest. He opened his eyes as she stepped forward, closer, her small hands resting on his shoulders. It was like reaching out for something he knew would pull him under, the vines of his life intertwined with hers; wrapping around him pulling him into the depths of what could only be a dream. And he did it anyway. He welcomed the downfall, accepted it, jumped in with both feet and prayed the water would fill his lungs and take him quickly because this was his last chance to feel her in his arms and it was worth the pain, the slow agonizing death.

His hands rested gently on her hips, moving her slowly over the dance floor. The sounds of whispers followed them, many telling others of their friendship, their history, and their futures. And it was all drowned into a soft mumble in the back of Soujiroh's mind as his eyes were locked on hers.

He was drowning and yet it seemed to be the only time he could breathe. The floor began to fill up with other dancers, mixing them among the crowd, hiding them from the spotlight. Soujiroh pulled her closer. His eyes closed and he took a deep painful breath as he felt her sigh into his embrace, her arms wrapping around his neck and her fingers instinctively playing with the hair lying against his neck.

No, this was the only time he could breathe for a reason.

Yuki was not the water drowning him.

Yuki's presence was not slowly killing him, filling his lungs with that ice cold water.

It was her absence.

Yuki was his life jacket…his oxygen.

He held her tightly.

"Soujiroh-kun," she whispered, her breath dancing across his neck.

But it was time.

It was time to let go of the life jacket, to hold his breath and accept death.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own NOTHING, there is even a scene her from the TV Show What I Like About You!

**Notes: **Sorry this took so long. In truth I have about 7 chapters of this written when my mother passed and well...she was my biggest fanfic fan.

**Chapter One**

_Out of Breath_

The sky was grey. The pristine flakes of snow fluttered to the ground adding a layer to the already white landscape surrounding them. He brought the cup of chocolaty warmth to his lips, taking a slow careful sip as his eyes landed on the two feminine figures walking toward the ski lodge.

"Makino and Yuki-chan are back," Akira said to no one in particular.

The figure slouched down in the large chair near the fire slowly peered over the top edge of his book. His lightly tinted hair fell across his forehead and into his eyes, only slightly obscuring his vision. As the door began to open, he closed his book, keeping his finger between the pages to mark his place. His head cocked slightly to the side and a small sweet smile formed on his face as the girls walked in.

With the sudden influx of cold air, Domyouji turned form his hunched position over a puzzle and looked over his shoulder at the two young women. His eyes settled on Makino. She was his first love—the first girl he ever approved of. And it almost seemed a cruel joke that her first love was his best friend…the one she simply could not get rid of and didn't want to.

The girls' conversation dropped and they stilled. Makino shifted nervously smiling from Domyouji to Rui, her eyes ultimately settling on Rui and her smile growing less nervous despite her eyes twitching toward Domyouji slightly. He seemed to be taking it well. This was his first extended exposure to the couple. Never more than an evening had been spent around them so all were slightly nervous and on edge about Domyouji's reaction. After all, his temper was nothing new.

Domyouji's eyes shifted. His gaze and thoughts of the past were interrupted by the young blond woman that walked through the room, paying him little to no attention at all. Domyouji's eyes followed her movements. His eyes lingering on the way the waves of her hair bounced over her shoulders and how set she seemed to get through the room and possibly away from the infamous group. Every time he saw her she was running from him.

Or so he thought.

"Hey! You there!" Domyouji yelled, standing up, tired of her total avoidance of him.

The young woman stood still for a moment before slowly turning, her grey eyes narrowing on the infamously cocky young man in front of her.

"Don't you know who I am?" He asked, his nose slightly tilted in the air as if the change in his posture from arrogant to over arrogant would help her see.

She remained where she was, her arms crossing over her chest.

"I think the more accurate question is do I care who you are."

She turned and finished her exit of the room. Domyouji made to go after her with visions of strangulation dancing in his head, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Let's enjoy ourselves, Tsukasa," Soujiroh said with a smile on his face.

Akira turned from the scene and stepped toward Yuki. He reached down toward the small table near him and grabbed the extra cup of hot chocolate he had made when he prepared his and held it out to Yuki as he took a sip of his. She quickly removed her gloves and wrapped her chilled fingers around the warm cup and sighed.

"Thank you, Akira-kun."

She took a slow careful sip, smiling as the warmth filled her. Her intention had been to take her hot chocolate to her room to leave her winter coat, scarf and gloves behind and then join the others in the main room.

That was not exactly what happened—or at least not that smoothly.

She took her first step forward, not looking immediately. When she did turn to look where she was going it was already too late. She ran into the human wall before her. She squeaked as she crashed into his chest, the hot chocolate flying up from the cup and landing on the both of them, more on him than her.

She quickly sat the now empty cup down on the table and covered her mouth with her hands in shock. What had she just done? She had spilled hot chocolate not just on her, but all over Soujiroh as well. His white shirt was marred in the dark brown splotches and she was sure they would leave a stain if not taken care of immediately.

"Gomen, Nishikado-san!"

He could hear the worry in her voice. She never called him Nishikado-san anymore, not unless she thought he was mad at her. It was strange all the smaller things he had learned about her since the whole Sara incident. Of course, that was bound to happen. Akira, Soujiroh, and Yuki were often seen together and Yuki would always smile at Makino when she would ask and tell her they were all friends. And if she asked specifically about Soujiroh, her smile would waver, but never fail.

"We have agreed to be friends," she would say.

Her cheeks were flushed. A combination of the chill still settled across her cheeks and her embarrassment of the situation. She was profusely apologizing.

"Gomen, Nishikado-san," she said again.

Soujiroh reached out, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Yuki-chan, it's okay." She stilled, her eyes looking up into his, unsure and looking for some hint of hidden anger.

"Are…are you sure?"

He nodded and looked her over.

"You didn't burn yourself did you?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"I'm fine, but Soujiroh-kun, we really need to get some soda water on that!"

He smiled down at her, patting her on the head as he often did when he was unsure what to do with her.

"I have some soda water in my room, Yuki-chan," he said. "Come on."

He placed his hand on her lower back to guide her out of the room and toward the stairs. She nodded and allowed him that control. Akira looked up from his drink.

"Your room, Soujiroh?" He asked, his eyes bouncing nervously between the two.

Soujiroh looked at him exasperated.

"It's only soda water, Akira," he said. "I would never do anything to Yuki-chan."

They weren't often alone.

It had been Soujiroh, Yuki, and Akira for a while now. In all honesty, they knew Akira was their buffer, the one that kept the discomfort of Yuki's true feelings for Soujiroh subdued and at bay. It gave Soujiroh space to not have to think about it. He knew how she felt and he also knew she was not like the other girls.

Yuki was not a girl to play with.

She was the kind of girl you committed to.

Yuki was not a stupid girl, even though she could often be blinded by her feelings for Soujiroh, telling herself one day he would look up and see her as something more than the girl he and Akira hung out with. She knew Soujiroh would forever be running from her, knowing she would never accept him as long as he insisted on all the other women. He simply was not ready for any sort of commitment and when he was ready, Yuki was sure she would meet her one day and only hoped by then her heart would have changed.

Still, it felt like she was living each day waiting for the day she would be with him.

There were times she simply hated herself.

They entered the room and Soujiroh tossed her a cloth to use as he pulled out the bottle of soda water opening it and pouring some on his own cloth before setting it down for her to use. As Yuki blotted at the offending spot on her coat, she glanced over at Soujiroh. It seemed he got the brunt of the hot chocolate.

She looked away nervously. Unsure if she should, she went ahead and removed her coat, draping it on the arm of the chair. She felt guilty. If she had been watching what she was doing, she would not have run into him.

"Let me get that, Soujiroh-kun," she said softly, scared he would send her away instead.

He looked up at her, noting the concern and he didn't have the heart to make her leave despite every fiber of his being telling him to make her run. Instead, he nodded and dropped the cloth, quickly unbuttoning his shirt and holding it out for her to take.

She felt frozen to the floor. Soujiroh was standing before her…shirtless. She wasn't sure what exactly she expected of him when she offered help, but she had never thought of him disrobing. She blinked. Soujiroh could not help it. It was automatic when he would make that pretty red tint appear on her cheeks. He winked at her.

It seemed to snap Yuki out of whatever trance she was in. She nervously stepped forward, taking the shirt from his hands. Soujiroh's lips quirked up slightly as the tips of her fingers brushed against his. She quickly looked away from him, turning toward a small counter where the soda water sat and laid the shirt out to better get to it.

She did her best to ignore his presence, remembering they were now friends and that was all they would ever be. Why didn't Akira follow them? It would have been better, less uncomfortable. With Akira there she would not have been able to even think about how close Soujiroh was standing behind her, how she could feel his breath dancing across her neck or how she could feel the heat radiating off his body.

Her movements became more frantic. From over her shoulder he could see how her hands shook, desperately trying to soak the offending stains on his shirt. It was like it was personal to her…too personal. Then, she felt the heat of his body increase as his bare chest pressed into her back. He reached around her, grabbing her hands and stilling her frantic attack of his shirt. He pulled her hands to her chest, effectively keeping his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Don't worry over it, Yuki-chan," he said. "I have other shirts."

This was one of those times she simply loathed herself. She turned her head slightly, tilting her gaze up to look at him still holding her there from behind. She attempted to move her lips to speak, to say something, but it seemed nothing would vocalize. Soujiroh's eyes lingered on her lips and their slow silent movement. His hair fell forward as he slowly shifted, bending down toward her upturned mouth.

Some indescribable part of Yuki was jumping for joy at his movement forward, yelling in her head that she had won. This was what she had been waiting for. But some other part of her; the part that knew what Soujiroh was really like, put on the brakes, reminding her of who he was. Her mind flashed with the many times she had seen him with several women on his arm, the phone calls he got constantly and his very outward disapproval of any form of commitment.

Even if she allowed this kiss to happen, she would not be the only one for Soujiroh.

She would simply become one of the numbers.

She would be just another notch on his bed post.

She turned her head back around, staring down at the shirt. Soujiroh was met with the breeze her quick turn created, a scent of her shampoo and the winter air intertwined. She squirmed free of his grasp and he could barely hear her words as she ran from the room.

"Gomen, Nishikado-san."

He could see her through the doorway as he descended the stairs. She was curled up in the corner of the sofa with her hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate she kept balanced on her knees. Next to her, Akira sat, shaking his head and rubbing his forehead. Rui sat in a chair by the sofa, glancing over the edge of his book at what was happening. Makino sat on the edge of the large chair, her and Yuki both looking up at Domyouji standing there looking between them.

"What do you mean?" He demanded.

He heard Yuki giggle.

"We mean being all pompous is not going to get her to notice you," Yuki said.

Makino snorted, earning her a cold glare from her ex, but she paid him little attention.

"You never did know how to get a girl's attention the proper way," Makino added.

Yuki nodded her head.

"You have to be honest, Domyouji-san," Yuki said. "You have to tell her how you feel."

"Baka," Soujiroh nearly yelled as he approached, Akira looking up thankful he would now have back up. "Don't listen to them," he continued.

Makino looked up at Soujiroh standing by the sofa.

"And why shouldn't he listen to us?" She asked.

Soujiroh looked down at the firecracker of a girl, not fearing her like the others often did.

"Because what would you know about getting a woman's attention?"

"He has a point," Domyouji agreed.

Soujiroh turned toward Domyouji again.

"It's all in the attitude," Soujiroh explained. "You don't need to be so pompous, true, but you need to appear totally unavailable to her and yet still make her think she has a chance."

Yuki sat her empty mug down on the table in front of her and looked up at Soujiroh.

"Do you actually believe that, Soujiroh-kun?" She asked.

He glanced down at her, but said nothing turning his attention back to Domyouji.

"That is so stupid," Yuki said standing up and moving to leave the room.

Soujiroh shifted his movement, casually blocking her way so that her exit was halted, giving him time to circle her.

"What are you doing, Soujiroh-kun?" She asked.

"Nervous, Yuki-chan?"

"No," she said curtly.

Soujiroh looked at Domyouji and smiled.

"You do want her to see you," he said. "No need to yell to get her to see you as you can tell."

Then Soujiroh circled back around, his eyes landing on Yuki's and the corners of his lips turning up.

"You need to look at her like she's the only one that can tame you." And his eyes lingered on hers as his words died down. Her eyes glassed over as if in some fantasy world and her lips turned up into a smile He turned back to Domyouji, suddenly and abruptly. "And then ignore her. Drives women crazy."

Yuki sighed, her eyes meeting Makino's for a split second.

"Domyouji-san that is stupid. Do not listen to him. Not if you actually like this girl."

Soujiroh glanced over his shoulder at Yuki.

"I wasn't talking to you," he said. He turned back to Domyouji. "And when you know she's interested, flirt with another girl in front of her."

At those words, Soujiroh's eyes drifted across the room to a small group of young women gathered together talking. One of them looked up at the feel of his gaze and smiled. Soujiroh winked at her and smiled back. Behind him, Soujiroh could hear Yuki clicking her tongue in disapproval.

"That is so stupid," she reiterated. "Domyouji-san, he doesn't even like the girls he plays with. Don't listen to him," she said and then glanced over at Soujiroh. "And besides, you don't know that girl wasn't looking at me."

"EH?" Soujiroh cocked his head slightly at her, wondering about the things coming from her mouth. He turned back to Domyouji. "You're in when she starts acting jealous."

"Please, Domyouji-san! Listen to me and Tsukushi! He's not a girl. He doesn't know…"

"And then," Soujiroh added, ignoring Yuki's continued pleas to his friend. "When she's least expecting it…" He turned suddenly, pulling Yuki almost flush against him, his head dipping down so that his lips lingered just barely above hers. A simple whisper would cause a gentle brushing of their lips. He remained there though, hovering, his eyes dancing from her eyes to her lips. "You give her a little something to think about," he added, moving farther in, gently taking her bottom lip between his teeth in a painfully slow and playful little nibble before he stood up straight again.

"And that's how it's done." Soujiroh shrugged his shoulders as if it should have been obvious and tossed himself down in another chair.

Yuki still stood there, frozen to the spot.

"That really wasn't necessary, Soujiroh," Akira said. "Yuki-chan…Princess, snap out of it."

She blinked, looked down at that cocky smile that often graced Soujiroh's lips when he made her blush and all she could think to do was to smack it clear off his face. She stormed up to him and sent her hand flying across his face. Shocked, Soujiroh held his cheek and looked up at the young woman that had smacked him, silencing the room.

"Yuki-chan! What was that for?"

"I am not your toy, Nishikado-san!"

She tossed herself back onto the sofa next to Akira, her arms crossed over her chest and refusing to look at Soujiroh. He didn't say anything. Instead, he stood and left the room; he knew when it was best to stay away from her.

Honestly, he felt horrible. When he thought back, it was a horrible thing to do to Yuki. They were friends and he took advantage of that…took advantage of knowing how she really felt, knowing that she would just stand there while he used her to demonstrate his point to Domyouji. And she was angry with him. It was obvious when she called him Nishikado-san with that tight voice as if restraining herself. He groaned at his own stupidity and what he would have to do now to get Yuki back in his good graces. His eyes landed on the tiny little flower shop that sat adjacent to the snow lodge, the tiny little building owned by the ski resort.

Akira hung up the phone from his hushed conversation with his father. He sat back in the large chair he sat in and observed what little activity there was this time of night. Most people were out on dates or in bed. Akira's eyes drifted to his left to the sofa where Yuki sat curled up in the corner with a blanket covering her bottom half and a school book in her hand.

He smiled as he noticed the subject. The first class she took in that subject she struggled with. He and Soujiroh refused to let her fail in that class and spent nearly every day or night with her, tutoring her. Before major tests she often fell asleep in Soujiroh's bed while studying only to wake the next morning to find him and Soujiroh sleeping on the nearby sofas. They had grown so close and yet, Soujiroh always managed to pick at the sores of the past, pull that thread in Yuki's heart a bit too far.

Akira shook his head at the thought of his best friend, his eyes catching strange movements across the room. The blond girl from earlier was standing near the window where her movement toward the stairs had been halted by Domyouji. He was circling her in no shape, form or fashion the way Soujiroh had shown him. When would he lose the pompous attitude in everything he did? The blonde's forehead was scrunched up in irritation. When Domyouji circled around her for a third time, crossing in front of her again, she shoved him with all her might, sending him stumbling sideways.

"I said move!"

As she stormed from the room, Akira's eyes landed on the front door where Soujiroh had just entered, his eyes landing on Yuki's form on the sofa. Akira knew why he was there and smiled a slight sigh of relief.

She had been adamantly studying. It was a hard subject for her and she did not wish to fall behind during her break. The main room of the lodge had grown primarily silent with the exception of Domyouji's antics in the back ground, but that was something time had made her accustomed to. Makino was upstairs getting ready for her date with Rui and Yuki was waiting for any sign she was needed while she studied.

It came from behind her.

She wasn't expecting it, but it was typical Soujiroh when they were fighting. A pure white tulip came from behind her and lay across her book catching her attention. She looked from the tulip and turned slightly to see Soujiroh crouched down behind the sofa slightly leaning over the back. He kissed her lightly on the cheek, not teasing her this time when the red tint danced across her cheeks and leaned his head slightly against hers.

"Gomen, Yuki-chan," he whispered.

They remained like that, silent for a moment, heads leaning against each other.

"Am I forgiven?" He asked.

Yuki sighed, her small delicate fingers picking up the tulip and twirling it around to look at it.

"Aren't you always?"

He pulled away and smiled at her.

"How about tomorrow evening the three of us get together in my room for popcorn and a movie? Just me and Akira with our Princess?"

She couldn't help the smile that grew on her lips, her eyes dancing over to Akira who nodded in agreement of the plan.

"Just the three of us," he added.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Not mine!

**Chapter Two**

_Right Here Waiting_

He leaned slightly against the doorframe when he opened the door and saw her standing there. She had on her pink flannel pajama bottoms and a top that had nothing more than thin little spaghetti straps. He had to wonder if she was chilly, but the ski resort was kept so warm. His lips quirked up at the way the polish on her toe nails seemed to match what she was wearing, coincidence he knew, but still it turned the corners of his lips up. Her pigtails hung over her shoulders and her arms were wrapped around a pillow.

She fidgeted at his silence. Had Akira forgotten their movie night? He moved to the side slightly to allow her entrance, his arm still on the door frame so she would have to walk under his arm to get in.

"I don't know why you brought a pillow, Yuki-chan," he said as he shifted to allow her entrance. "You know you'll just end up using Soujiroh's because it smells like him."

As she passed through the doorway, she reached out and playful hit him in the side at his words, causing him to jump slightly with a chuckle. He turned, shutting the door as Yuki made her way to the sofa in Soujiroh's room.

"Soujiroh will be here shortly, Princess. He had something to take care of first."

Yuki nodded as she curled herself up on the sofa and then turned, her eyes landing on the fluttering of snow outside the large windows. She felt the shift of the sofa as Akira sat next to her, the movement shifting her feet against his thigh. They were freezing. He could feel it through his pants. He shook his head, one hand cupping her foot from the side that was exposed upward as if checking exactly how cold they were and the other hand was grabbing a small blanket that was crumpled on the sofa from their last movie night. He tossed the blanket over her bottom half, ensuring her feet were covered.

Yuki turned slowly from watching the snow to smile at Akira. He was still shaking his head as he pulled out his phone to send a text to Soujiroh, concerned about whatever errand he was on that just couldn't wait. He shut the cell phone and placed it on the table in front of him, sitting back and smiling back at Yuki.

"Did you want to go ahead and start the movie?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"We'll wait for Soujiroh-kun," she said softly and turned back to the dazzling snow fall.

She wasn't quite sure how he did it. Maybe it was because no matter what their current relationship was, she simply could not let go of the idea of Soujiroh…the idea of them. There were times, arguments they would have when she felt like just turning and walking away from the friendship. There were times when it seemed that would be so much easier, but somehow he managed to always say the right things and do the right things that kept her right there waiting.

"I'm going to go get some popcorn," she said suddenly standing from the sofa.

Akira had his phone in his hand again, fingers moving over the keypad as he nodded. She stepped over his legs, where his feet were propped on the table and he dropped one of his hands from the phone, picking up the satin pink robe lying on the sofa from their last movie night and held it out to her. She took it without a word, tossing it over her shoulders and heading out the door.

It was late.

Most of the resort was sound asleep in order to wake up early for skiing. She passed only the occasional person in the halls, most of them going to their rooms. The silence and the dark almost set her on edge, enhancing every sound around her and at the same time her mind seemed to be paying attention to what those sounds were—looking for some sound that told her Soujiroh was near.

Yuki was on her way out of the kitchen, popping a piece of the popcorn into her mouth when she found him. It was the giggling that gave it away and yet it was the giggling that should have warned her away as well. She shifted her route, choosing to walk through the main room of the resort instead, following the sounds of the giggles.

It was as if the darkness of the room had crashed down upon her, suffocating her. He was leaning back against the desk in the corner of the room. The giggles were coming from the young woman he held close against him and every move his lips made across her neck made her giggle even more. His fingers danced up her arm and he chuckled into her neck. Yuki felt ashamed suddenly, horrified at being in the room. Her arms tightened around the bowl of popcorn.

He sensed her in the room. He knew she was there, felt it the moment she stepped in and heard her delicate little gasp of shock. His eyes drifted lazily up to Yuki, his lips leaving trails down the young woman in his arms' neck.

"Yes, Princess?"

Her mind paused, halted at his words. In such a time he would use their nickname for her. She felt her chin tremble, fighting the tears as her eyes looked up to meet his.

"Gomen," she whispered and turned to leave.

Hearing Soujiroh's words, his endearing address to someone else and hearing her soft apology the young woman turned in Soujiroh's arms, looking over her shoulder at Yuki as if sizing up what sort of threat this girl was.

"I'll be right there," he said and then turned to look at the young woman. "Gomen, I have a previous engagement…"

"No," Yuki suddenly said, disrupting his goodbye.

Soujiroh's eyes looked over the young woman's head at Yuki once again, curiosity etched on his face. Yuki simply shook her head.

"No, it's okay," she said hoping her voice remained even, hoping for indifference. "You stay. Akira-kun and I can watch the movie without you."

His lips turned up in a smile. He silently excused himself from the young woman and stepped closer to Yuki.

"Are you sure?" He asked looking down at her hands and how white her fingers were turning as she gripped the bowl to her body tighter and tighter with each passing moment.

She only nodded, feeling trapped in his gaze again. It was moments like this she just knew it would be easier to walk away, but she never did. Always she bent to Soujiroh's will, always she bent almost to a breaking point. Soujiroh reached out, tilting her chin up to look at her and bent down, his eyes lingering on her lips for a moment.

She pulled her chin out of his grip and looked away from him, offering him nothing but her profile.

"Please, Nishikado-san," she whispered. "I'm not one of them."

He watched her walk away, wondering if she would break the glass bowl she was holding it so tight. He watched the way the pink satin robe flared behind her only slightly in her quick retreat and the way one shoulder of the robe fell off, hanging there.

"I'll just be a bit late, Princess," he called after her, noting the way her retreat seemed to have paused for only a second before leaving as quickly as possible.

Akira looked up as Yuki entered the room. He could see her agitation and could only imagine where it came from. She sat the bowl on the table and plopped back onto the sofa next to Akira.

"We can go ahead," she said softly. "He's going to be a while."

The movie was almost over when Soujiroh returned to his room. Yuki was on the sofa, her legs curled up to her chest and her head resting on Akira's shoulder. She was awake; her eyes a blank stare at the T.V. She felt the shift of the sofa when Soujiroh sat on the other side of her and she lifted her head up off Akira's shoulder. Soujiroh reached across her, pushing a few stray hairs that fell from her pigtails back and tucking them behind her ears. His fingers lingered there on the side of her face though and he leaned over, gently kissing her cheek before he slowly moved toward her ear, his head leaning against hers.

"I know you aren't one of them, Princess," he said in response to her earlier comment. "After all," he whispered. "If I thought you were, Akira would not be here and you would be in my bed by now."

She clicked her tongue in irritation of him and pushed him away playfully. His only reaction was to smile and wink at her before turning to the movie.

She hopped down the stairs in an unusually good mood despite the disappointing cancellation of her ski lesson with Soujiroh. She wore a soft pink winter hat with matching gloves and scarf. The light color set off her face in a wintry glow of excitement as her long hair fell down her back, pinned down by the hat she wore. Makino ran up to greet her, similarly dressed. At the sound of the girls giggling slightly, Rui glanced up from over the edge of his book and Akira turned to smile at the two friends, his eyes resting on Yuki.

"Where are you two off to?" He asked her.

"Tsukushi and I have a ski lesson in about five minutes," she said with a huge smile on her face.

Akira looked between the two girls, his smile growing. There was one particular ski instructor he was a ware of. A particular ski instructor all the girls spoke about, giggled about and one in which caused an uproar when he approached Yuki the previous evening…offering his services.

_"I won't be able to teach you to ski tomorrow, Princess," Soujiroh said as he leaned forward in his seat slightly closer to Yuki, his charming smile offering all he could in regret. _

_ She was disappointed; there was no doubt about that. Since their arrival Soujiroh had promised Yuki some lessons in skiing and this had been planned far in advance, but as usual other things were more important to Soujiroh. She swallowed the disappointment, stuffing it down and smothering it in her sweet smile as she shrugged her shoulders. The soft feminine giggles behind her were lost on her ears, something she was accustomed to hearing when Soujiroh was around._

_ "It's okay, Soujiroh-kun," she nearly whispered._

_ Soujiroh glanced over the top of her head at the half Japanese half Italian ski instructor that stood in the room. Soujiroh was not accustomed to someone else's entrance creating the soft sounds he found to be music to his ears. His eyes settled on the man, not trusting him. Soujiroh sat back, relieved Yuki didn't seem upset with him, but on edge as this David character's eyes seemed settled on Yuki._

_ Akira continued his conversation with Soujiroh taking note of how distracted Soujiroh was with the ski instructor in the room. He didn't stop his conversation until David approached Yuki, kneeling down to be eye level with her on the sofa._

_ "You are much too beautiful to be abandoned for even a moment, Cara."_

_ Yuki looked at the young man, her face glowing in embarrassment and her lips twitching in a smile. The women in the room that had been giggling only moments before now watched her with annoyance._

_ "Perhaps I can offer you my services tomorrow," he offered, his hand running through his long dark hair. _

_ "Oh," Yuki said starting to fumble over her words. "I don't know. I mean…"_

_ Soujiroh shifted in his seat, his eyes narrowed on the man, ready to tear him away from Yuki at any moment._

_ "Consider it my thank you for gracing me with your presence, Cara," he said reaching out his finger and caressing it down the slope of her cheek._

_ Soujiroh reached out and grabbed the hand he found to be offensive._

_ "I think your job is to teach people how to ski. That doesn't involve intimately touching other people's…it doesn't involve touching people who didn't ask for it."_

_ Soujiroh dropped the instructor's hand, his look clearly warning David to keep his hands to himself._

_ "And I will pay you for her lesson…and Makino's."_

Soujiroh kept a distance between his friends and his girls. Even though Soujiroh was in the same room, he remained away from his group of friends, keeping the girl across the room as if there were some sacred invisible line that he would not cross with these girls; he would not taint the sanctity of his group of friends with whoever he chose for the evening. He couldn't remember it always being like that and part of him began to question if it all started when Yuki became such an integral part of that group of friends.

"Well, have fun," Akira said brightly, his eyes dancing around the room and glancing at Soujiroh from across the room almost as if waiting for him to stop her from going to her lesson.

He didn't though. Soujiroh's attention of the girl he was with was momentarily distracted by Yuki's exit of the room. It was a rushed exit. She was anxious and excited for her lesson and it bounced off everything around her.

"Nishikado-san." The sound of his name was whiney, pleading, begging for his attention.

He turned to look at her.

"Gomen," he said softly, his lips leaving her no doubt about how sorry he was.

It was so painful to watch. It didn't matter what little bits of advice Soujiroh or Akira gave Domyouji; he took it and somehow it never quite translated the same way. He could see him doing exactly what Soujiroh told him to, but it just wasn't the same. If anything it was at least entertaining to watch, painful, but entertaining.

He was trying. Akira knew that, knew exactly what he was trying to do. Soujiroh had told him to look at her as if she were the only one that could tame him, but it took Akira a few minutes to figure out that was what he was trying to do. Domyouji once again was blocking the young woman's entrance into the room, his look was…well…frightening if Akira was honest. He looked at her less like she was the only one that could tame him and more like he was about tear her limb from limb and that left a bad taste in his mouth.

"MOVE!" She exploded at him, her hands on her hips. "Before I beat your tiny little Japanese ass!"

Domyouji froze with his mouth open and stared at the girl. He could not fathom someone so beneath him speaking to him in such a tone…someone that wasn't Makino anyway. She pushed past him, her scowl not leaving as she stormed up to Akira and Rui. Akira looked up at her waiting for whatever it was she had to say. Rui peered over the top edge of his book at her curious. She settled on Rui though.

"You should do something about your friend," she snapped taking Rui aback by her rough demeanor with him when he wasn't the one harassing her.

"He just likes you," Rui said softly.

She snorted a very unladylike sound and rolled her eyes.

"Yea?" She asked. "Well, where I'm from that crap he keeps pulling gets you a restraining order not a date!"

Rui could do nothing but blink at her abrupt words and sudden departure from the room, making sure she threw an evil glare Domyouji's way. Akira was still laughing when Domyouji sat down next to him, slumped over in a physical reaction to his rejection.

No one got a chance to really say anything about it. It was there on the tip of their tongues, the need, the words of teasing that Domyouji knew was coming, but never did. It was interrupted by the young woman that rushed into the room looking frantically around the room. The moment she saw Soujiroh off in a corner with some girl she hesitated, so obviously needing to speak to him, but unsure if she should interrupt.

"Is something the matter?" Akira asked standing up and looking at her curiously.

Soujiroh felt the shift in the air. He felt the nervousness of the young woman standing not too far from him and he pulled his mouth from the young woman's neck, looking up at Akira and the woman. She fidgeted.

"I didn't see you, Mimasaka-san!" She explained. "I wasn't sure if Nishikado-san would want to be interrupted."

"What is it?" Akira repeated.

"It's the young woman you arrived with."

Soujiroh stood, nearly dropping the woman in his lap.

"Yuki-chan? What is wrong with her? What is it?" Soujiroh had forgotten the young woman he left plopped in the chair.

"There was an accident…"

He didn't wait around. He left Akira standing there to get whatever story she had to tell. He ran from the main room and out the door into the snow, his jacket only an after thought on his way out. The snow had started to tumble from the clouds again and with the serene scene of the snow fall it was only too easy to know where the accident was.

He ran toward the slope, pushing his way between people until they discovered who was there and then the crowd parted.

She sat in the snow, tears streaking down her cheeks as her hand lay against the side of her ankle. The snow fell around her, clinging to her pink hat and falling against her eyelashes only to have her warmth melt them almost immediately.

"Princess!"

Her watery eyes looked up at him, her cheeks flushed from the cold and he rushed forward, diving down to kneel before her. Soujiroh reached out a warm hand and laid it against her cheek. She was too cold.

"Help is on its way," David said standing nearby and holding up a radio with the garbled sounds of other people's conversation.

Soujiroh's eyes looked up at David as if he could kill him right there in the pristine snow.

"She is freezing, _David. _Beyond what she should be. I warned you when I paid for these lessons how easily she gets cold and sick," he said. His words wavering in his slipping control. "Not only did you let her get too cold, but you let her get hurt."

"I said help is coming," David repeated.

"She doesn't need anyone but me," Soujiroh said, lifting her up in his arms and cradling her close.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her fingers toying with his hair as she often did and her head lay against his shoulder as she tried to stop her crying. She felt so silly crying over a fall, but her ankle hurt more than anything she had ever felt. His eyes were still glaring at David as he spoke to Yuki.

"Come on, Princess, let's get you warmed up and a doctor to look at that ankle."

Soujiroh turned to leave with Yuki, one part of him loving the feel of her fingers against the base of his neck as she toyed with his hair, a strange thing she seemed to automatically do to calm her self. But some part of Soujiroh liked that. Another part of him wanted to put her down, turn around and pound David into the snow. It didn't help that he followed behind them, his mouth moving faster than his feet trying to explain how she was hurt and explain his own negligence away.

Akira and Rui stepped out of the resort and upon noticing Soujiroh advancing toward them with Makino next to him, fighting to keep his pace and the ski instructor following behind, they rushed forward.

"Princess!" Akira ran ahead of Rui, his eyes landing on her unusually swollen ankle.

Soujiroh was relieved to see Akira, gently placing Yuki in his arms, albeit suddenly and turned to advance on David.

"Soujiroh!" Akira held Yuki firmly, but called to try to stop his friend.

Soujiroh had already reached David, holding him still by the front of his shirt.

"Just get her inside, Akira," Soujiroh said. "I have something to take care of first."

Yuki looked over at the way Soujiroh held the man and she knew. Her forehead crinkled in worry. She didn't want Soujiroh to do anything he would regret, but her ankle felt like it was splitting in pain. They didn't leave her a choice though. Akira turned swiftly and rushed Yuki away, leaving her to wonder exactly what would happen to David.

"Go find him, Akira-kun!"

Akira sighed, patting Yuki gently on the head and then pushing her hair back off her still flushed face. He sat her down on the sofa in the room with the TV, Rui having kindly asked everyone to leave them; they were alone except for the doctor that had been called to Yuki's side. She hissed. Her face contorted in pain as the doctor examined her ankle.

"I could find him, but then what will you have me do, Princess?"

"You know his temper, Akira-kun!"

"Yes, I do," Akira said. "And I also know that when it comes to you there is no stopping him. Don't worry, Yuki-chan. Soujiroh will not do anything to get himself in trouble, but he will not allow David to get away with bringing harm to you."

When Soujiroh returned he found the room dark sans the light of the TV from a movie that was playing. The light bounced around the room. In a fluffy looking chair by the sofa sat Akira, his feet propped on the table in front of him and his posture relaxed as if he were tired.

"Where's Yuki-chan?" Soujiroh asked.

Akira glanced up at Soujiroh, pointed toward the sofa and his eyes fell back to the TV for a moment as if he was sure he was about to miss something important. Soujiroh stepped closer, walking around to the other side of the sofa where he could see her. She looked so small and frail to him curled up on the sofa, her ankle thoroughly bandaged up. Her breathing was deep and even.

"The doctor gave her something for the pain," Akira said. "Knocked her right out."

Soujiroh leaned down, gently lifting her head and sat down, grabbing a small pillow to place in his lap before allowing Yuki's head to rest there. His fingers danced across her forehead pushing her hair off her face.

"So what did you do to David?" Akira asked.

Soujiroh shook his head.

"Nothing you wouldn't do," Soujiroh said. "He won't work at another ski resort again though."

**Note: I am sorry about it taking me so long to get these chapters up! I am working on chapter 8 now! Also, in case you haven't been to my profile to know, I have other obligations. This is written for fun. My first priority is my book and my editor would kill me if I put that on the back burner for a fanfic…yes, I have an editor. If you are interested in following my progress as a writer (not a fanfic writer) please feel free to like my author facebook page: JCRayvin...the link is in my profile.**


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